Okay, let's give this a shot. Hey, everyone. I'm Alex. Thanks for clicking,
and welcome to this lesson on: Five idioms that you can use to encourage
other people. It's great to be supportive of your friends, your family,
your colleagues — so these five idioms, most of them which are basically
imperatives, you can use these to, you know... give your friends, give the
people in your life that you love a little push in a positive direction. So,
let's start. "Hang in there". Now, "hang in there" — similar to: "Don't give up",
which we will get to in a moment — it just means to continue trying and
surviving. So, I know things are hard right now, but just hang in there. The
most popular, you know... poster that you can maybe... you have seen it. It's
the cat who's hanging from the branch, and it says: "Hang in there". Usually, I
think it says: "Hang in there, baby". But "to hang in there" means to continue
trying; continue surviving. Just hang on. Okay? Don't let go; things will
improve. So, I know things are tough, but hang in there. Okay? Just... it's
gonna be over soon; just a little longer. Next: "Keep your chin up". So,
"to keep your chin up"... this is your chin. It means to try to stay positive.
Okay? Don't be sad, and, you know... negative. Obviously, it's healthy. You
know... sometimes your mood is down; sometimes your mood is up. But if you
want to encourage someone to get their mood back up, you can say: "Hey. Keep
your chin up. Try to stay positive." For example: "Okay, I know. The job market
is depressing right now, but keep your chin up. Something will come. Something
good will happen hopefully in the near future." So, one more time: "Keep your
chin up". I know the job market is depressing right now, but keep your chin
up.
Next: "Don't give up". This is a very common imperative; you've probably heard
it. If you watch pro wrestling, and you know who John Cena is... "Never give up.
Don't give up" — this just means: Don't quit; keep going. Very similar to: "Hang
in there". "Don't give up". Right? You can do it. Just hang on; keep going. So:
"You're almost at the finish line" — if your friend is doing, you know... a race
of some kind — "Don't give up now". Now, this can be a literal finish line, an
actual finish line; or maybe you're talking to your friend about a project
that they're doing for school, or a project that they're doing at work. And
you say: "Come on. You're almost there. You're almost at the finish line. Don't
give up. Keep going. Keep pushing yourself". Okay. Next: "You're on the
right track". So, if your friend isn't sure what's happening in this project
that they're working on right now, or they're trying to solve a problem in
their life, and you think: "Whoa. Hold on. Hold on. I know that you seem very
confused right now and you think nothing is going right, but you're actually on
the right track". This means: You're going in the correct direction; you are
taking the right steps; the correct steps to solve your problem.
So, here... let me go on this side, here. Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo. "Continue
working; you're on the right track". You can say this to a child who's trying to
solve a math problem, and they're getting really frustrated. Right? A
student or a child of your own, and you can say: "Okay, I know it's hard. But
you know what? You're on the right track. Keep going; you're going in the
right way." And, finally, we have: "Give it a shot. Why not?" So, this is a way
to say: "Just try it. Who knows what can happen, right?" So, you should sign up
for that class; just give it a shot. So, maybe someone in your life is having
doubts about you know... want you to sign up for a class because they think
they're not smart enough to take it or something like that. Like: "I don't
know. It would be very difficult. I don't know if I have the time. I haven't
studied that subject in many years." And you say: "You know what? Just give it a
shot. Just try it. What's the worst that can happen?" Right? So, these five
idioms you can use in your daily life starting today; starting now. They're
all very common, and they're used to help you to support people in your life;
to help encourage people in your life; to push people in a positive direction.
Now, I don't want to say that, you know... the world is all sunshine and
rainbows, and eternal positivity is the answer to all of life's problems. I do
have a cynical side, you know... as well. So, sometimes when people tell
you: "Hang in there", and you think: "Yeah, sure. Easy for you to say." Or:
-"Keep your chin up." -"Yeah. Well, I'm trying, but it's really hard." Sometimes
it's okay to be down; it's okay to feel sad and to let yourself feel what you
need to feel. And this is where you need to be careful and be sensitive to the
people in your life, because maybe it's not the right time to say: "Keep your
chin up". Maybe it's the right time to say: "That sounds really hard. I'm
sorry." So, sometimes you really have to, you know... be sensitive. Be aware
of the type of mood that your friends or the people that you're talking to are
in. And, hey, if they're running a race and they're feeling good, but you see
they're struggling, and you say: "Don't give up" — that's a perfect time to use
that; perfect context. All right? So, context is very important. Know the
people in your life and try to figure out what they need in the moment. Just
be empathetic. That's it.
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keep your chin up. Don't give up; you can do this. Thanks for clicking.